Microsoft goes for broke in Japan with Xbox 360 Monster Hunter bundle

by JC Fletcher on Aug 24th 2011 10:00AM

All right, so the Xbox is kind of tanking in Japan, and has been since day one. Microsoft has introduced a new bundle that seems custom-designed for reclaiming the shelf space that retailers have reportedly been taking away from the platform: one with the Monster Hunter Frontier logo on it.

The 29,800 yen ($389) bundle includes a 250GB Xbox 360, a download code for Monster Hunter Frontier Online, and free armor and weapons. Here's where it gets rough: the code allows you to play until hunter rank 2, so ... it's really more of a demo. Still, there will be people who buy this whole thing (which costs the same as a plain 250GB Xbox) just for the in-game items.

Via: GAME Watch
Source: Microsoft

Tags: bundle, capcom, japan, microsoft, monster-hunter-frontier-online, xbox

Reader Comments (85)

Note. As and American gamer I could care less about Japan buying xbox's. Japan used to be on top and now they are not. They don't even understand cross party chat. They said cross party chat was not needed, yeah right. They built a crappy ps3 with 256mb of main memory that couldn't even do cross party chat. All the haters were like we have 512 memory just like xbox if you combine our video and main memory. Well guess what you were wrong, it does matter. Japanese games are stupid once you get over the age 13.

@maxxgold
I'm an American gamer and I think cross game chat isn't needed. Sure it's a nice extra, but it's not NEEDED, same with trophies/achievements. They're nice extras, that's it. All that is really needed is online and a friendslist to play with your online friends. Even that isn't needed if you're playing single player. Stop being stupid.

@maxxgold

Idiot of the Year goes to...

@maxxgold not on top? Only good if under 13? You must play ONLY shooters....I've played tons of Japanese developed games this gen...

@maxxgold: Pfft, as if you'd know anything about being older than 13.

@Khaos

Oh god damnit, here we go again the with fanboy-ism on BOTH sides.

Is cross-game chat absolutely "NEEDED"? The answer is a resounding no.

Is it a NICE feature to have? You would be the severely moronic person to say it isn't. It's useful and fun.

Let's not fight about which console is better. Both have features that are nice and both have features which kind of suck. That's it. End of story. I own both consoles and I can appreciate both. Of course at the end of the day though, haters are always going to hate I suppose.

Upvoted the original comment and downvoted yours.

@maxxgold
There's a problem with your statement....the xbox and ps3 have the same amount of total memory but the xbox's memory is kinda dynamic in that it can be allocated however the programmers need. The ps3 memory is static so it is only ever 256 main and 256 video max.

@Khaos

Just because you claim not to need anything does mean other people agree. What's important to you, might not mean a thing to someone else. What you think of as an extra might be a necessity to another.

You don't speak for gamers as a whole. It's annoying and disrespectful to others when you attempt to do so.

In other words...speak for yourself.

@PandaNuclear
Cool story bro, cool enough that you think I said anything about the PS3. Reading comprehension where?

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi

The only Japanese made games I play is action games like MGS or RE and all nintendo titles but JRPGs like Final Fantasy 13 suck ass.

@HaVoK308
Well, when did I ever say I was speaking for everyone? Don't put words in my mouth, that's disrespectful too.

The saddest (funniest?) thing about maxxgold and his comments is that he and his views represent pretty much any Xbox owner ever.

@Khaos

*coughs* You did mention trophies. :)

Thanks for playing though!

@maxxgold

Judging by your comment, apparently you're not over the age of 13 either. You must frequent the local Gamestop when you're supposed to be in school don't you?

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

You called that one right....I can't think of a time when that moron actually said anything constructive.

@Co Don't mix the rest of us Xbox owners with that one sad Xbox fan-boy.

@Co

MUST. RESIST. BITCH SLAPPING A HO.

@maxxgold

Whine whine, bitch bitch, Japanese don't like me, so I no like them, they hurt my Xbox feelings, so they hurt my feelings, now I will bitch about Japanese games that are for childrenz because shooter games are for big mens.

@Co

Actually no, it represents a small minority of Xbox fanboys ¬_¬ The rest of us don't really care, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, so are Japanese. And we in Europe care even less :D

@Aguiluz

But it's effectively 256mb. It doesn't matter how much ram the GPU has if the CPU can't shuffle enough data around and that's the PS3's weakness.

@maxxgold Only stupid american CoD tools like you cares about cross party chat.

@PandaNuclear
the fact that you got downvoted so much shows the fanboyism in this post.

@maxxgold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueywqUBW3oM troll somewhere else

@maxxgold xbox fanboy of the year award goes too....

@maxxgold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHyzhMlwLi8

I find it funny that the armor is all Xbox colors

@The Cole Train
I bet it has a -30 weakness to fire and has the debuff "Heat Inc (Lo)"

@The Cole Train

I'm sure that was done intentionally, but if you think about it, why would Japanese gamers (who apparently share a near-universal hatred for the Xbox 360) want to show off their practically-Xbox-branded armor? I bet if they had just made some badass-looking armor that DIDNT sport the Xbox colors, this bundle would sell a LOT better. Where's my job, Ballmer? ;)

Beat em up guys! TRIUMPH OR DIE!

Japan does love its Monster Hunter, I wonder if it'll sell. I mean because Frontier is already a PC game. Only time will tell I guess.

@Khaos

Well, considering PS3 is due to have (if it's not out already) Monster Hunter 3 for PS3 with free multiplayer and on PSP as well, what would have been a good idea falls a little flat.

Monster Hunter 3 with the PS3 and PSP I have already or buy a 360 just for Frontier which charges me after level 2? Hmmmmm

@Khaos
Frontier's been on the xbox for a while. According to VGchartz, its sold around 130,000 copies.

@Spunky Monkey 190906

Actually, PS3/PSP has Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, I think the HD remaster comes out this week. Not 3. 3, Monster Hunter Tri, is actually out on the Wii.

@Suichimo

I tend to disregard the Wii version (as fun as it was) as part of the 1-3, tri (3) though it may be. The first two original ones were on PSP and PS2, Frontier and Tri to me seem more like spin offs adding in features that the originals don't have, I'm waiting for the true "Playstation sequel" if that's what it may be, 3rd happens to be that.

Don't really understand why you would release 1, 2 and then 4 on PSP but skip out on the 3rd game :/, doesn't make much sense at all. So yes, to me, TRI is a spin off.

@Spunky Monkey 190906

Except it doesn't work like that. There are two distinct series to Monster Hunter. You have the console games which consist of Monster Hunter, Monster Hunter G, Monster Hunter Dos, and Monster Hunter Tri.

You then have the portable series on the PSP which includes Monster Hunter Portable, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is not Monster Hunter 3.

@Suichimo

Well it depends on how you look at it, from the portable perspective it is, from the console perspective it isn't so we are both right and wrong, Tri for Wii is not a sequel to 2G or 2 on PSP. It really doesn't matter what console it is on, its 3rd in the series for PSP and therefore it is still 3. Tri is also 3 from the console perspective.

Not really sure why this is even a worthwhile discussion :/

@Spunky Monkey 190906

Because it is misleading to call Portable 3rd, 3. Yes its the third game in the portable series but that doesn't make it Monster Hunter 3. The entire thing comes down to the title. You aren't going to call Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land Super Mario Brothers 3 are you? It is the third game on the handheld, and it is a Mario game.

Thats why I keep bringing up the fact that the PSP series is called Monster Hunter Portable, Freedom for those not in Japan. Just by adding that last word onto the title you explicitly change what you're talking about. When you say Monster Hunter 3 you're heavily implying, almost to the point of guaranteeing, the Wii game, but when you say Monster Hunter Portable 3 you're now implying the PSP game.

@Suichimo

Well don't forget that portable is a direct continuation of the PS2 game, the original and first game, all they did was port the first game to the PSP and add "portable", but technically its the same game without the dual sticks. Regardless, I know what you mean. Its just that they are technically both 3, just 3 in their own rights, so when people say MHP3 is not MH3, well yes it is and no it isn't. From a portable perspective it is, from a console perspective, no it isn't.

I think most confusion comes from the fact that the game has switched consoles so often and there was never really a Monster Hunter 2, with 2 in the title like there was for the portable version.

@Khaos
It wont sell as it was not created by a Japan based company.
They will never embrace the 360 as they think it to be inferior and also it was created by the West.

It is closed minded I think.

@Spunky Monkey 190906

Monster Hunter 2 dos- actually did have 2 in the title. It was just never released outside of Japan.

@Suichimo

Ah, see, all I knew it as was Dos, makes sense now, quite a bit of confusion. Well, should they decide to give MH4 an obscure name like Monster Hunter Quad, lets hope its on PS3 and 360 now.

@Spunky Monkey 190906

PS3 and/or Wii U, personally.

But...but...Japan doesn't matter....why even bother...right?

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
Your referencing an article that's on IGN not Joystiq.

They even have Monster Hunter on Xbox over there?! Cant say they arent trying...

why wont they release this in the USA ? there are alot of MH fans in the US. I am one of them heck I even use party chat on xbox so I can talk clearly to people while I play MH on my Wii. if they release it over here, the game at least maybe not the whole system, I bet it might even sell better

@ansalon929

Well at least we have Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii.

I'd still like to play an Xbox or PS3 version though.

@PandaNuclear I thought they were HiResing a Monster Hunter for the PS3 and you could play between the PSP/PSV and PS3? That's still a thing right?

@blessrok

Yeah, it is, but I was under the impression you could get Frontier in the US for Xbox? :/ Maybe I was wrong. Meh, I'm waiting for MH3 for PSP and PS3.

@ansalon929

They didn't release it over here because they didn't believe the fanbase would be able to support it, in regards to the original PC verison. You can still weasel your way into the game though.

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Monster Hunter Frontier Online

Microsoft goes for broke in Japan with Xbox 360 Monster Hunter bundle

Reader Comments (85)

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:06AM maxxgold said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:16AM Khaos said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:16AM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:17AM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:22AM Icemael said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:29AM PandaNuclear said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:30AM kevin949 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:30AM HaVoK308 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:33AM Khaos said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:35AM ANOTHERE said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:36AM Khaos said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:39AM Co said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:42AM PandaNuclear said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:43AM Kagiroi said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:54AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:01AM kmcroc said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:22AM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:26AM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:28AM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 1:48PM SirUrza said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 4:24PM YanDaMan said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 5:37PM The Soft Machine said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 8:40PM nightripper said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 8:42PM nightripper said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 8:46PM nightripper said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:09AM The Cole Train said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:56AM Destati said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 1:02PM trendscenedental said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:09AM SpishackCola said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:13AM Khaos said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:31AM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:58AM Destati said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 12:52PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 1:06PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 1:44PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 3:57PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 4:42PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 5:27PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 5:38PM GamerTrekster said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 5:46PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 5:59PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 6:20PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:15AM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:27AM Doomzdae said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:17AM Darki Dreamside said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:19AM ansalon929 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 10:30AM PandaNuclear said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:15AM blessrok said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 11:33AM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Aug 24th 2011 2:35PM Suichimo said

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